Chapter 210
**An Answer (1/1)**: You can ask me a question related to money and wealth.
**A Transaction (1/1)**: Is there anything in this world that cannot be "borrowed" with money? My answer is no. Designate a target, and as long as they accept all the money you currently possess, you can forcibly rent something from them—a possession, a skill, or even an emotion (Note 1: You must describe the item, skill, or emotion you wish to rent. If your description is unclear or incorrect, I will rent the most similar item/skill/emotion based on the information you provide; Note 2: The rental duration for the item, skill, or emotion will depend on the amount of money you offer, with the daily rent being equal to the target's current wealth).
There are many restrictions, but it’s all about how you use it. If used wisely, this skill can yield extraordinary results.
98% of people and foreign races won’t refuse to accept gold coins.
Even someone as cautious as Yu Xunge, before witnessing this skill, would not hesitate to pick up a bag of gold coins from the ground after using her detection skill and finding no issues!
What’s even more terrifying is that you can actually purchase emotions. Although emotions are different from possessions and have time limits, the mere ability to buy them opens up infinite possibilities—loyalty, friendship, love, remorse, guilt, gratitude, and so much more. She instantly thought of countless ways to use this.
From the practicality of the three skills she had acquired so far, this "Heart Snatcher" truth-or-dare game was indeed worth pursuing.
Though they were all one-time skills, each was more useful than the last.
While waiting at a red light, after consulting with Tu Lan, Yu Xunge decided to bind the "Heart Snatcher" to her soul. Although Tu Lan clearly stated she didn’t need it, Yu Xunge explained that she wanted to play with it and could always retrieve it from her, making it a shared possession.
Just as she was about to activate the binding stone, she suddenly recalled the words of the Holy Grail: "Don’t burden your soul with too much."
Yu Xunge asked Tu Lan, "Is the Holy Grail's talent related to the soul?"
Tu Lan replied, "Yes, her divine talent is called Star Seer, which is indeed related to the soul."
Yu Xunge counted the equipment and items she had bound so far: a pocket watch, the Irritable Moon, the Fire Spirit Ring, "Embers," "Meteor," and "The Water God is My Rival." Unknowingly, she already had five items...
If it weren’t for the cat den needing to be accessible for the cats, she would have had to use tattoo ink instead of a binding stone, which would have made it seven.
In the end, she decided against binding the "Heart Snatcher." She planned to investigate the binding stones for equipment after the matter with the Dragon Ancestor's reverse scale was settled. The only thing she could think of that could be considered a "burden on the soul" was this.
After settling down in the private room, Yu Xunge approached Zhao Shuying to discuss her trip abroad.
There was no need for her to report to the Special Affairs Bureau about where she was going or what she was doing, nor did she intend to follow the rules strictly.
The more you adhere to rules, the more others will impose them on you.
Given the current shortage of military forces, the Special Affairs Bureau shouldn’t be able to monitor the coast and borders 24/7. However, from the occasional updates on their official website, Yu Xunge could guess that they must have means to monitor around the clock.
For instance, when they brought out the bronze artifacts during the Black Fei incident, it was clear that the cultural heritage of Huaxia was too deep and filled with antiques.
She mainly wanted to use this situation to test Dinghai, to see just how "indulgent" they were towards her.
Since their cooperation began, she had already given up quite a bit on Dinghai's side; it was time to further probe their limits regarding her.
If Dinghai still preferred to manage her with strict rules, then she would need to adjust her attitude and strategy.
**Yu Xunge**: I need to step out for a bit.
**Zhao Shuying**: ???
**Zhao Shuying**: Little Yu, this is getting a bit too ambiguous. You don’t need to be so detailed; you’re a lone wolf, no need to inform me about everything.
**Yu Xunge**: I’m going abroad.
**Zhao Shuying**: What?! Tell me more!
**Zhao Shuying**: When and where? When will you be back?
**Zhao Shuying**: Beep~! Beep beep beep~! Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep~!
**Zhao Shuying**: The five-star red flag flutters in the wind~~ How loud the victory song is~~
**Yu Xunge**: ………………
Her head hurt. If it weren’t for the game invasion, Zhao Shuying could have easily made it to the central government.
**Yu Xunge**: I actually preferred your earlier tone—three parts cool, three parts sarcastic, and four parts nonchalant.
**Yu Xunge**: I just need to step out for a bit, just wanted to let you know to avoid any misunderstandings.
**Zhao Shuying**: Do you need our help?
**Yu Xunge**: I shouldn’t need it.
Yu Xunge’s attitude was purely informative from the start.
A few minutes later, Zhao Shuying replied.
**Zhao Shuying**: Okay, I understand. Don’t worry; what you’re concerned about won’t happen. If you need help, just reach out.
Yu Xunge calmly closed the game interface, her mood neither good nor bad, just weary.
A lone wolf with immense benefits at stake doesn’t earn the adoration of various factions; the most likely outcome is being targeted by them collectively and then divided up. Until the situation becomes clear, being unconventional and ostentatious is definitely not a good thing.
Did those organizations and factions really give up on her and her dragon? That was impossible.
Yet, these calculations were repeatedly suppressed under Dinghai’s stance. Those seemingly useless public service messages and statements in the chat channels were precisely what she desired most at this moment.
And she had "purchased" them through repeated concessions.
She was borrowing strength from Dinghai!
How much had she "spent" in Dinghai? Even if you added the concessions from informing them about exchanging gold coins, the total "concessions" might not even reach ten thousand gold, but it bought her the current maintenance, trust, and favoritism from the official organization.
Just like when she was a star, spending money to create a persona, in Dinghai, she was merely establishing her persona through repeated concessions. Some money had to be spent, and it was best to do it early; the sooner, the better.
Dinghai's "trust" would only be this cheap in the initial stages. Once they developed, how much would she have to "contribute" to gain the same level of trust? It would be far more than ten thousand gold!
Now, watching the valuable Legion Orders and "Time Will Always Squeeze In" rapidly depreciate by next year, her time was too limited to run around town every day looking for hidden goblins to exchange for gold. The efficiency of that profit was far less than using her time to research potions to sell.
These small losses weren’t much, but they could help her navigate many hidden calculations.
As long as she remained a lone wolf, Dinghai would treat her cautiously, not pushing her towards any faction.
After cutting off the collaboration on the "Happy Again" skill crystal and ending the gold-for-gold transaction, she had stabilized the situation once more. She stood at the center of the seesaw, having gained public favor through honor points and the Little Bear Biscuit incident. No one would dare to easily touch her...
Being a lone wolf doesn’t mean refusing to team up or cooperate with anyone.
It means not cooperating with any faction while ensuring that all sides dare not touch her. Living freer than anyone else—that is what it means to be a lone wolf.
She might not yet achieve absolute freedom, but one day, she surely would.
**Chapter 273: I Want to Make a Deal with You**
When Yu Xunge and Tu Lan were on Dragon Island, they left all their food, drink, and entertainment there. So after finishing their meal, they needed to restock their backpacks and their dimensional space, while also buying some items they would need underwater.
Forget about the inflatable boat; after the last battle with the dragon, she had been carried on Tu Lan's back, and someone had taken a picture. This time, the location was too sensitive; she and Tu Lan would remain invisible the whole time or simply rest at the bottom of the sea.
No need for a locator; with the game map, she didn’t need that.
Today was the 29th, and they would set off tonight. If all went well, they could return in early November to catch Su Yitong’s concert and gain some attributes.
However, Tu Lan felt that going out to sea would be boring.
Yu Xunge had already told Tu Lan that they couldn’t bring electronic devices to play with while at sea. She had made a few game consoles for Tu Lan using engineering skills, but Tu Lan had long since grown tired of those. In the end, Yu Xunge brought her a few Sudoku books—though she thought there wouldn’t be much chance to play, Tu Lan could sometimes be easily entertained.
The cat den still hadn’t been returned to the backyard. Yu Xunge added cat food for the cats in the backyard and found a few that had already made the backyard their home. She told them that the cat food was stored in the row of cabinets near the backyard, all portioned out. Once the cat food was finished, they could go to the cabinets to get more. If any guest cats came to the backyard, they would help entertain them.
The backyard had a sensor faucet, so the cats wouldn’t lack for water.
—“If a new cat arrives, remember to give them a drink from the second shelf of the cabinet. Male cats drink from the triangular bottles, female cats from the spherical ones, and kittens don’t need to drink.”
The orange-and-white fat cat diligently noted Yu Xunge’s instructions.
Everything was going smoothly, except for that tabby cat that liked to poop in the dragon dung box and had a bit too much to say.
Tabby: “Leaves will always turn yellow, and a cat’s heart will always grow cold... Do you think we don’t know what that drink is for?”
Tu Lan: “What’s it for?”
Tabby: “The Cat Extinction Plan!!”
Tu Lan: “Wow!”
Tabby: “Do you know what kind of reputation your yard has in our cat circle?”
Tu Lan: “What reputation?”
Yu Xunge: “…”
She thought it was a shame that Tu Lan didn’t go into stand-up comedy as a straight man or become a live-streaming host…
Table of Contents
